Queen Elizabeth 2

Today was the last day the QE2 cruise ship would ever be in North America. The 40 year old oceanliner is being retired and will survive on as a floating hotel in Dubai. To honor the end of the line(er), a fellow Cunard ship, the Queen Mary 2, joined the old QE2 in New York Harbor and started on a joint trip across the Atlantic. This would be the 806th and final trip and across the Atlantic by the QE2.

I happened to be in a business meeting in a lower Manhattan skyscraper at the time of the engagement of the two ships. I knew that our 37th floor conference room was well positioned to see the event unfold during the 5pm-6pm meeting. I alerted the participants and we would grab peaks out the window as we anticipated the arrival of the ships while we spoke about technology.

First the Queen Mary 2 (above) came into view appearing between the buildings as it approached from the Brooklyn piers. It waited for the QE2 to come down the Hudson for the rendezvous and then head past the Statue of Liberty and out to sea.

While it waited, the Queen Mary 2 spun around in a section of the river that seemingly didn't have room for its size. And, it waited some more. After about 20 minutes, the QE2 appeared between the buildings. Dwarfed in size by the Queen Mary, which a few years ago was temporarily the largest ship in the world, the QE2 pulled up alongside and together they made their way through the approaching darkness and out towards the Verrazano Bridge and to the Atlantic.

Preparing for 9/11

The park at Liberty Plaza is now a gathering ground and showplace for the annual September 11th ceremony. The park is just opposite from the World Trade Center site, and last year's activities for the families were held here. (This year, I think, the pit of the site is a little bit more prepared for visitors and they will be doing some or all of it down there). At any rate, last year, before the ceremonies a team of workers came to work on maintenance of the embedded lights that are part of the park's floor.

I noticed that the workers have returned, which reminded me that we are coming close to another 9/11 anniversary and another ceremony. Last year I emerged from the PATH train while the ceremony was in process and had this direct observation.

Tickertape Parade

A tickertape parade. I always wanted to experience one, but they are not as common as they once were. There are commemorative strips embedded in the sidewalk up Broadway that record each parade. They were rather regular in the '50s, any visiting dignitary seemed to have one. Lately though, it has only been for NY sports champions.

The victory by the Giants in the Super Bowl, quite a feat as they beat the undefeated Patriots, sparked the parade that I had sought. The crowds started assembling 5-6 hours before parade time. The streets were busy with excitement as the anticipation grew.

While, the focus was on the Giants as they went by in the parade trucks, there was a buzz and electricity on the blocks, called "The Canyon of Heroes". Waves of enthusiastic crowd noise circled up and down the avenue. People hung from balconies and looked out of windows, and the floors were littered.

I started taking pictures as people got ready, then as the parade approached I got a perspective from the 39th floor of an office building. Then descending in the midst of the crowd to see what was going on there. The atmosphere was electrifying.